The Braves were tough-luck losers on Monday, falling to the Marlins in the first game of their four-game series. Huascar Ynoa was outstanding, only to be let down by a shaky bullpen in game that eventually ended with a 5-3 Marlins win in 10 innings. The Braves will look to bounce back on Tuesday, sending Max Fried to the mound in opposition of Miami right-hander Pablo Lopez.
Fried is coming off a rough outing in Washington in which he allowed nine baserunners in two innings, allowing five earned runs. The Braves eventually won the game, but it was certainly not the type of outing that has come to be expected of Fried, who was the Opening Day starter for Atlanta earlier this month. He carries a 9.00 ERA into the game on Tuesday, which is buoyed by his 2.43 WHIP. Those numbers accurately reflect the ineffectiveness that Fried has encountered thus far, but hopefully a return home can give the left-hander a much-needed boost.
In addition to returning home, Fried gets the added bonus of facing a paltry Miami lineup. The Marlins have struggled mightily at the plate in the early-going, despite their victory on Monday. Miami scored five runs on Monday, which was the second-highest scoring game of the season for Miami despite several talented bats mixed into their lineup.
On the mound for Miami will be Pablo Lopez, who has been excellent thus far. His 1.54 ERA and 0.77 WHIP are evidence of his effectiveness, though he is currently sporting an opposing BABIP of just .148. Numbers this early in the season are based on such small samples that they can often be rendered useless, but Lopez was solid in 2020 as well, even striking out better than one batter per inning. From a Braves perspective, Ronald Acuna and Travis d’Arnaud each have two homers and batting averages over .350 against Lopez in their careers, which should bode well for the matchup on Tuesday.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, April 13, 7:20 p.m. ET
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: Bally Sports South
Streaming: MLB.tv
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, WNNX 100.5, Braves Radio Network